Safety-pin



E. SCHENK.

SAFETY PIN. APPLxcATloN FILED SEPT. 20, 1920.

Patentd Nov. 15, 192.

I FFICE.

EDOUARD SCI-IENK, OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.

SAFETY-PIN.

Application led September 20, 1920.

T 0 all cli/wm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDOUARD SoHnNn, citizen ot' Switzerland, residing at Geneva, Canton of Geneva, in the Confederation of Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Pins, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety catches for pins; and its object, stated briefly, is the provision of an improved catch which is applicable to breast pins, brooches, scarf pins and analogous articles of jewelry and which operates in a manner to etf'ect the automatic locking of the pin consequent upon the mere act ot closing it. The improvements comprised in the invention involve, primarily, a socket member or catch proper which is movable automatically into position to engage the point of the pin when the lat-ter is closed, and a means or device whereby such member is held against dis placement from its position of engagement until a positive releasing operation has been manually effected.

The accompanying drawing illustrates various ways in which the invention may be carried out,

Figure l being a side elevation of one embodiment, showing the pin in open position;

Fig. 2 a fragmental detail view, partly in section, showing the pin closed;

Figs. 8 and t are transverse sections on lines 3-3 and Lis-t, Figs. l and 2, respectively;

-Fig 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modification; and

Fig. 6 is a part-sectionall side elevation of a third form of the invention.

In the iirst form, represented in Figs. l to 4, a indicates the body portion of the piece of jewelry (there shown as a brooch) to which the invention is applied, and b the pin member thereof, the pin being pivoted at one end at c in an enlargement or bearing al. The free end or point of the pin is designed for engagement by a catch, consisting in this instance of a socket e which is mounted to slide between guides g provided on the back of the part a and is held in place by flanges 7L on the guides that fit in lateral grooves in the socket. The latter is formed with a recess or bore to receive the pin point and with a second recess or opening in which is arranged one end of an expansible coil spring z', the other end of which bears against the rear vendv wall of the slot or guideway Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

Serial No. 411,423.

produced by the said guides t; the spring thus tending to move the socket bodily in a direction toward the point end of the pin which, during its movements, travels in an arc indicated at The socket is adapted to be retracted manually, against the action of the spring, to bring it into a position beyond arc w, for which purpose it is formed with a fingerpiece or iiange j to permit it to be readily grasped; and means are provided which act to hold said slide in that position when the pin is open, but which automatically release it consequent upon the closing movement of the pin. In the construction illustrated in Figs. l to el., such means comprise a pawl 7c, which has one end forced into a groove or seat n formed in the body a, and the other end formed with a fork Z that underlies the pin; the intermediate portion of the pawl being provided with an upstanding tooth m for engagement with the front edge of the socket. rIhis pawl is constructed in the form of a flat spring, and is so mounted and arranged that in the normal position of the parts, with the socket retracted and engaged by tooth m, the fork Z will be elevated (see Fig. l). Hence, when the pin is being closed, its point will press against the Jfork and force it downward or inward toward the back ot' body c, thereby releasing tooth m from the socket and, incidentally, centering the pin point with respect to the bore or recess of the socket. IVhen such release takes place, the socket will be automatically forced toward the pin point by the action of spring 2', which has previously been held in a tensioned condition, and will thus engage said point and lock the pin in closed position.

To thereafter open the pin, it is necessary to first pull back the socket or catch by means of its finger-piece f until the pin point is completely withdrawn therefrom, whereuponthe pin may be moved away vfrom the body a, as will be understood. The backward movement of the socket has the double effect of contracting the coil springt' and uncovering the tooth m on pawl 7c, which latter, by reason of its spring construction, will thereupon rengage the socket and hold the same in retracted or cocked position.

Fig. 5 represents a somewhat modified construction according to which the detent action-that is, the action exerted by the pawl in the iirst formffis exercised by an element which forms an integral part of the pin itself. In this form, the body a2 consists of a hollow tube which is closed at one end by an integral wall and at the other by a plug r2 which is mounted on a removable crosspin or pivot s2. The sliding socket e2 is cut away at its inner end, as indicated at Z2, to form a guide opening for the point of the pin Z22, and is attached to the adjacent end of a second tube g2 which is slidably fitted within the outer tube or body a2; the neck e2 which connects the parts e2 and g2 projecting through and sliding in a longitudinal guide slot n2 in said body c2. The end of the inner tube g2 to which socket e2 is connected is lett open in order to permit the insertion of the operating spring 2 into the bore of the tube, said spring bearing at its outer end against the plug r2 and at its inner end against the end wall of the bore, so that the tendency of the spring is to force said tube in an inward direction. The inner end of tube g2 is made solid, as indicated at g2", and has formed therein a cup-shaped seat or depression t2 for coaction with an enlargement 7a2 on the inner end oi the pin Z22, which enlargement lits in the bearing Z2 and is connected thereto by the pivot c2. The said enlargement projects into a slot a2 formed in line therewith in the outer tube or body a2, and is of substantially circular shape, its radius being the same as that of the depression or seat t2, so that in one position of the sliding tube g2, its seat will register with slot a2 and the disk or enlargement can be turned into position to extend into and occupy said seat, as hereinafter explained. The disk is also formed with a straight edge or cam 7020 which is disposed parallel with the axis ot the pin and which is likewise designed for coaction with tube g2. In this form of the invention, the backward movement of the socket and, hence, of the tube c2 is effected by means of a linger-piece f2 which, instead of being applied to the socket, is fastened to the tube g2 by means of a screw shank which extends through a longitudinal slot u2 inthe body a2 and is threaded into a hole in the solid end Q20 of tube g2, the length of such slot determining the extent of movement of tube Q2 in opposite directions. To preserve the symmetry of the brooch, or increase its artistic or intrinsic value, the finger-piece may take the form ot a gem set in a suitable socket, and there may be two of such lingerpieces, one at each end of the brooch.

Assuming that the parts are in the position shown in F ig. 5, it will be observed that the pin is held in closed position by a double lock: its point is engaged in the socket e2, and the straight portion or cam edge 7:20 of disk k2 is engaged with the sliding tube Q2 which will etfectually prevent the pin from being moved outward. To open the pin, it is necessary to shift tube g2 toward the plug end of the tubular body a2 by means of its finger-piece f2, such movement withdrawing socket e2 from the pin point and at the same time bringing seat t2 opposite disk 7a2. The pin may then be swung into open position, because the disk will be free to move into said seat; but it is to be observed. that the projecting portion ot the disk then disposed within the seat will prevent tube 92 from being forced backward by spring 2. Hence the said disk, in both of its positions, will exert a locking or detent action, analogous to that exerted by the pawls 7c and la', in one of which positions it prevents the pin from being opened, and in the other of which it prevents the spring 2 from shifting tube g2 and, hence, keeps said spring in tensioned condition. Thereafter, when the pin is moved inward by hand, the circular portion of the disk will be gradually moved out of seat t2 and its straight portion ,le20 gradually brought opposite said seat; and when that position is reached, which occurs when the pin and socket are in axial alinement, tube g2 will be released and the socket will be engaged automatically with the pin end by the expansion of the spring.

By extending slot fm2 through the end of tube a2, and making pin s2 and finger-piece f2 removable, it is possible to remove plug r2 and then completely withdraw tube g2 when it is desired to have access to the interior ot tube a2 for any reason. v

In the form represented in F ig. 6, the body a3 is tubular, as in the form shown in Fig. 5, and receives the sliding inner tube Q3 which carries the socket e3 to engage the point of pin b3. The latter is provided with an enlarged disk-like part .7c3 which is generally7 similar to the disk 162 and, like it, is designed to exert a detent action, as subsequently explained; said disk ,7c3 being centrally pivoted at c3 in a bearing d3 and projecting through a slot a3 into position to coact with tube g3. The latter is generally similar to tube g2 and is subjected to the action of a spring '3 which, like the spring i2, is arranged within the tube.

The disk 7c3 is provided with three teeth e3 for coaction with the teeth w3 formed on the tube g3, the latter being cut away immediately in rear of its teeth w3 for a distance equal to three tooth spaces; this cutaway portion being utilized to enable a ce1'- tain amount of play between the disk 733 and the said tube g3, during which movement the disk remains stationary. In addition to the set or series of teeth @3, the disk k3 is provided with a pair of diametrically-opposite stops g3, located at the ends of such series and the purpose of which is to limit to a movement of 90o the swinging movement or stroke of the pin in either direction. The tube g3 projects beyond one end of the body a3, as shown, and carries a suitablyset terminal gem f3 which functions as a finger-piece.

The parts may be assumed to be shown in F ig. 9 in the positions which they occupy just at the momentwhen the cut-away portion of tube g3 is immediately in line with the last tooth 'v3 on d isk 7c3, so that the ensuing movement of the tube caused by the expansion spring 3 will not affect disk 7c3 nor pin 3 but will merely cause socket c3 to become engaged with the pin point; it being` und-erstood that the initial portion of the movement of the tube by said spring 3 (during which time the rack-and-pinion action of the teeth w3 on the teeth o3 has caused the pin to swing inwardly into closed position) has already been completed.

When it is desired to open the pin, pressure is applied to the part f3 to push tube Q3 inward. During the first part o1" such movement, said tube moves idly with relation to disk 7c3 because of the presence oi the cutaway portion, and its only eii'lect is to move socket c3 away from the pin point to release the same. As soon as the teeth co3 and o3 become engaged, however, disk 7c3 will be rotated and will swing` the pin outwardly into open position. llVhen the pressure upon the part f3 is removed, the controlling spring 3, which was previously compressed, 'forces tube g3 outward; but since the lost motion provided for by the cut-away portion of said tube does not occur until the last part oi' the out-stroke of the tube, the rack teeth w3 on the latter will immediately rotate the pinion or disk k3 with the result that the pin is swung inward into line with the socket fc3 which will be engaged therewith during the last part of the movement oi' the tube, as above explained. Hence, in this form of the invention the closing or inward movement of the pin is effected automatically, whereas in the other forms such movement must be effected manually. in `all of the forms shown and described the actual locking oi' the pin by the socket is automatic, and the pin remains locked until its release is ei"- fected by a positive manual operation serving to disengage the vpin end from the sock-et.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a pin and a body to which it is hingedly connected, or" a catch, and means for holding the catch out oi' pinengaging position when the pin is open, said catch being released from said means and moved automatically into engagement with the pin upon movement oi the latter to closed position.

2. The combination with a pin and a body to which it is hingedly connected, of a spring actuated socket mounted for sliding movement on said body, and means for holding the socket out of pin-engaging position when the pin is open, said socket being released from said means and automatically moved by its spring into engagement with the point of the pin upon movement of said pin to closed position.

3. The combination with a pin and a body to which it is hingedly connected, oi' a catch, detent means for holding the catch out ot pin-engaging position when the pin is open, and means for automatically moving the catch into pin-engaging position when said catch is released from said detent means, said catch being released from said detent means directly and solely upon movement otsaid pin to closed position.

4l. The combination with a pin and a. body to which it is hingedly connected at one end, of a catch, detent means carried by the pin and engaging the catch for holding the latter out of pin-engaging position when the pin is open, and means `for automatically moving the catch into pin-engaging position when said catch is released from said detent means, said catch being released from said detent means only when said pin is in closed position.

5. The combination with a pin and a body to which it is hingedly connected at one end, of a socket mounted for sliding movement on said body and provided with a shank portion having rack teeth, a portion integral with the hinged end of said pin having detent teeth or engaging the teeth of said shank portion for maintaining said socket out of pin-engaging position Awhen the pin is open, and a spring for moving said socket into pin-engaging position when released from said detent teeth, said socket being released from said detent teeth only when the pin is in closed position.

lin testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDOUARD SCHENK.

EDM. EMMANUELs. 

